Archetypes
by Falcitrix
Summary: Completing a survey is always more difficult when one of the subjects is a liar. Vague Kurogane/Fai and Sakura/Syaoran.


**Pairings: **Slight Kurogane/Fai and Sakura/Syaoran, but neither's really that prevalent.

**Spoilers:** None seeing as it's set before Acid Tokyo, but it'll probably make more sense if you've read past that.

**Disclaimer:** Clamp owns these wonderful characters.

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**Archetypes**

"The brat said he'd be back by now." Kurogane glared at Fai, as if the man were somehow responsible for Syaoran's tardiness. The clear light of the afternoon had begun to fade to dusky orange, and since they had no idea where Syaoran had gone off to, Kurogane was starting to become slightly worried. Not that he'd ever willingly admit it.

Fai pointedly ignored Kurogane's glare and simply smiled back at him. "It's cute that you're worried, Kuro-rin, but I'm sure he's fine. Besides, Mokona's with him!"

Kurogane's eyes hardened as his mind processed the other man's words.

"I am _not _worried."

"Um," Sakura interrupted shyly, perhaps sensing the sudden appearance of Kurogane's murderous intent, "It's okay to be worried, Kurogane-san."

"I told you, I'm not -"

Before Kurogane could complete his sentence, there was a small clicking noise followed by the door to their hotel room swinging violently open. Sakura's face lit up when she noticed who'd opened the door.

"I'm sorry I'm late," Syaoran panted, out of breath and looking as if he'd run the entire way there. "But I was at school the entire day."

Kurogane's eyebrow twitched. "You're late... because you've been at school."

"A teacher thought I was a student trying to skip class!" Syaoran explained hastily, eyes widening. "But it turned out be a lucky mistake. In reading class, we're in a mythology unit, and the teacher told us that tomorrow we'd hear a legend about a magical feather."

Mokona took the lull in the conversation as a sign to jump out of his hiding place in Syaoran's pocket and announce his presence to the room.

"Mokona and Syaoran are going to school tomorrow!" he exclaimed happily, dancing a little before finally settling on top of Syaoran's head.

Kurogane rolled his eyes. "Is this actually going to be helpful?"

Syaoran nodded. "I think there's something to it. The reading teacher seemed to know what she was talking about. But..." he trailed off, fidgeting ever so slightly, "I, um, have homework, and I was hoping that all of you could help me with it."

"Why don't you get the _manjuu_ bun to help you?" Kurogane huffed, wondering why Syaoran even needed help. "It came to school with you, after all."

"Mokona was sleeping!" Mokona objected, crossing his stubby arms.

"Now, now, Kuro-tan. Daddies need to be supportive of their children's academics," Fai grinned, giggling in a manner that didn't mesh well with a normal sense of self-preservation. Kurogane slipped off the couch and stalked towards the mage, and he would have definitely chased the incredibly annoying man around the room had Syaoran not picked that exact moment to cough conspicuously. Kurogane sent Fai a final glare for good measure before sitting back down, appropriately chagrined.

"What's your homework assignment?" Sakura asked with interest as Syaoran sat down next to her on one of the room's beds.

"I'm supposed to match people I know with different character archetypes."

Sakura tiled her head to the side, giving Syaoran a confused look. "What are archetypes?"

"They're kind of like set personalities," he answered after a moment of thought. "In literature, most characters fit into one archetype, and it describes them perfectly, or closely enough so that it's recognizable."

The look of confusion on Sakura's face waned, and she nodded slowly.

"The teacher said that we shouldn't let someone suggest their own archetype because they'd be biased. If we could go around in a circle and suggest one for each other, I think that would work."

Kurogane didn't miss the way Fai tensed at the idea of other people suggesting what sort of personality he had. Come to think of it, Kurogane wasn't even sure Syaoran understood the implications that his little homework assignment had for their group.

"I'll list the six of them," Syaoran continued after hearing no objections, oblivious to Fai's distress. "The Innocent doesn't like change, but has to face it in order to grow. The Orphan wants safety, but though he's afraid of being left alone he's also afraid of forming attachments. The Martyr is pure, selfless, and self-sacrificing. The Wanderer wants to be free and doesn't like conformity, but he has to work with others in order to learn. The Warrior's goal is strength, and he hates weakness. The Magician loves being with others and is a very happy person."

Fai raised his hand a split second after Syaoran stopped speaking. "I volunteer Kuro-pi to go first!"

"Of course you do," Kurogane grumbled.

"Kuro-chi has to be a Warrior. Because he never wants to show weakness, even when he should."

Not expecting an explanation that was actually serious, Kurogane's eyes widened as he glanced at the man sitting next to him.

"Fai -" he began, surprising himself with the use of the other man's name, but was quickly cut off.

"But, it's also because he's so strong!" Fai punctuated his statement by playfully squeezing one of Kurogane's muscled arms. For his part, Kurogane valiantly quashed the urge to reach for his sword.

Syaoran wisely chose not to comment on the scene playing out before him, and instead he simply nodded and agreed that Kurogane had struck him as a Warrior as well. Syaoran looked around the room, wondering who would be the next to volunteer. Or be volunteered, for that matter.

"Mokona thinks that Sakura's a Martyr!" Mokona started hopping around, reminding Syaoran of the fact that his current location was the top of the boy's head. Syaoran found himself nodding again in agreement.

"That's what I thought, too - because she's selfless and kind."

Sakura had to bow her head to hide her increasing blush.

"It's Fai's turn now!" Mokona exclaimed. Fai immediately looked as if he were going to object to this - rather hypocritical of him, really, given that he'd volunteered Kurogane earlier - but Kurogane, seeing his expression, cut him off.

"You should go."

"Really?" Fai asked, dissembling the uncomfortable chill of nervousness - fear? - that had settled over him and smiling. "I thought it'd be agreed upon that I'm the Magician."

"You're not the Magician just because you _are_ a magician, idiot."

"Then what does Kuro-ko think I am?"

Though Kurogane did not hesitate, the nanosecond he took to answer seemed like an eternity.

"The Orphan."

Fai dropped his smile.

"'The Orphan wants safety, but though he's afraid of being left alone he's also afraid of forming attachments.' That's what you said, right?" Kurogane confirmed, turning towards Syaoran.

Syaoran nodded his head hesitantly, uncertain about the new direction his simple homework assignment had ended up taking.

"That's not very nice, Kuro-bun." Fai laughed, but the sound rang hollow.

"But it _is_ accurate."

For a brief moment, no one spoke.

"I think it's Mokona's turn," Fai said almost at a whisper, breaking the silence.

When he smiled, it was just the slightest bit emptier.

* * *

**A/N:** One of the first things we did on my first day of English class this year was learn about the five character archetypes*. Probably since I'd been reading TRC fanfiction that morning, my mind immediately tried to match the main five characters with these archetypes. Once I actually learned a bit about the archetypes, I was able to make a more educated match-up, and decided that they actually worked quite well.

Something interesting I thought I'd mention is that the Orphan's response to a major problem is to either run or wait for rescue, whereas the Warrior will simply take care of it. When I read that, it immediately reminded me of Fai and Kurogane's conversation in Outo.

* Some people don't consider the Innocent an archetype, but I included it because it fits Syaoran way better than Wanderer. (Although it was kind of a pointless gesture because no one gets around to Syaoran, but oh well.)

If you're curious, this is what I had everyone pegged as:

Innocent = Syaoran

Orphan = Fai

Martyr = Sakura

Warrior = Kurogane

Magician = Mokona

In my opinion, no one fits the Wanderer archetype.


End file.
